Sport Utility Vehicles and More Sport Utility Vehicles

04/12/96

NEWS RELEASE

SPORT UTILITIES: "GO ANYWHERE,
DO ANYTHING" VEHICLE FOR THE 90s

April 3, 1996 (New York) -- With plenty of room for passengers and
cargo, sport utilities are the go anywhere, do anything vehicle of the
90s. This year several major new sport utilities from luxury car
makers Acura and Lexus are hitting the road, while revamped lines from
Honda, Nissan and Toyota make their appearance.

Visitors to the 1996 New York International Auto Show, April 6-April
14, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center will be able to see first
hand a full range of sport utility vehicles.

Acura

Jumping onto the sport utility bandwagon, Acura introduced its first
offering in the segment -- the SLX.  Under the hood is a 3.2-liter,
24-valve, 190-horsepower V6 paired with a four-speed automatic
transmission and shift on the fly four-wheel-drive. The SLX is loaded
with everything from cruise control and air conditioning to a power
moonroof and six speaker AM/FM stereo system with cassette player.

Lexus

Lexus is also into sport utilities with its LX 450. This newest Lexus
is built on the proven Toyota Land Cruiser platform, and is powered by
a 4.5-liter twin cam six-cylinder engine. Grille and headlight designs
feature Lexus elements, while the body side cladding, color keyed
bumpers and unique alloy wheels convey a sophisticated
presence. Interior appointments incorporate leather, wood trim,
automatic climate control and premium audio systems.

Honda

Introduced as a 1995 model, Honda's Passport has seen rapid
changes. The 1995.5 model saw the addition of driver and passenger air
bags, and now for 1996, there's a new shift-on-the-fly four-wheel
drive system, a more powerful engine, larger wheels and tires and
available four-wheel anti-lock brakes. The Passport is available in
two- or-four-wheel drive models and three trims levels -- DX, LX and
EX. LX and EX models get a 3.2-liter, 24-valve, 190-horsepower V6
engine, while the DX has a 2.6-liter, four-cylinder, 120-horsepower
engine.

Nissan

Nissan's redesigned 1996 Pathfinder has a new 3.3-liter,
168-horsepower V6 paired with either a five-speed manual or four-speed
automatic gearbox. The Pathfinder is longer and has more interior room
than its predecessor, and it is available in either two or four-wheel
drive.

Toyota

Toyota's most popular SUV, the 4Runner was completely redesigned this
year to include all-new engines, chassis, interior and exterior
styling. It is available in base, SR5 and Limited models, in either
two-wheel or four-wheel drive configurations with either a five-speed
manual or four-speed automatic transmission. A 2.7-liter, 16-valve,
double overhead cam, 150-horsepower four cylinder engine is standard,
and a 3.4-liter, double overhead cam, 24-valve, 183-horsepower V6 is
available as an option on all models, except the two-wheel drive
five-speed. The RAV4 (Recreational Active Vehicle with 4WD) is a new
concept in SUVs.  Toyota combined passenger car elements with features
of a light, off road vehicle, and the RAV4 emerged. It is powered by a
2.0-liter, 120-horsepower twin cam four cylinder engine, and is
available in two- or four-door models, featuring full-time four-wheel
drive. Dual air bags are standard and an anti-lock braking system is
optional. Rounding out the Toyota sport utility line is the Land
Cruiser, a full-sized vehicle that carries standard dual air bags and
four-wheel anti-lock brakes. It's powered by a 4.5-liter in-line
212-horsepower, six-cylinder engine.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet's Blazer gets a new 4300 Vortec V6 engine that delivers 190
horsepower. Either two- or four-door versions of the Blazer are
available with either two-wheel or four-wheel drive. Trim levels
include a base and uplevel LS package for the two-and four-door models
and an optional luxury LT package for the four-door models. The Tahoe
line has a new model -- a two-wheel drive two-door -- making the
lineup two- and four-door versions in two- and four-wheel drive. Two
trim levels are available on two-door models: LS and LT, and two trim
levels are available on the four-door models: LS and LT. The standard
powerplant is the new Vortec a 5.7-liter, 250-horsepower V8, and a
6.5-liter turbo-diesel V8 engine is available as an option.

Jeep

The big news from Jeep for 1996 is that the flagship Grand Cherokee
has been virtually redone, and the Wrangler is due out in early 1996
as a 1997 model. Significant improvements were made to the Grand
Cherokee's powertrain, chassis, electrical and electronic systems. The
exterior now features a larger grille and integrated fog
lamps. Inside, dual air bags are standard. The Grand Cherokee is
available as either a "Laredo" or "Limited" model, and is powered by a
4.0-liter, 185-horsepower, in-line six-cylinder engine paired with a
four-speed automatic transmission. For those who want V8 power, a
5.2-liter, 220 horsepower engine is available as an option. For 1996,
the Jeep Cherokee receives the same 4.0-liter, in-line six cylinder
engine found in the Grand Cherokee. Three models are available this
year: the base SE, the Sport, and the top-of-the-line Country. The SE
and Sport are available with either two- or four-doors, while the
Country is available only as a four-door. All are available in either
two- or four-wheel-drive.

Ford

Following a redesign last year, the Explorer now has available V8
power for the first time. A 5.0-liter V8 is available on the four-door
XLT two-wheel drive models, with four-speed automatic
transmission. The 4.0-liter V6 remains the standard powertrain. The
Explorer is equipped with dual air bags and a four-wheel anti-lock
braking system. The Bronco gets futuristic "Signal Mirrors" with
built-in arrow-like pointers that flash right or left when the driver
signals a turn. These supplement the conventional turn signals. The
mirrors are standard on the Bronco XLT Sport, and optional on the XLT
and Eddie Bauer models.

Geo

A new four-door Tracker highlights Geo's sport utility news this
year. The new Tracker four-door LSi Hardtop is longer and has more
interior space than the two-door version. Four models are available
for 1996: a two-wheel drive convertible, a four-wheel drive
convertible and a two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive hardtop. Trim
levels are base and LSi. All are equipped with a 1.6-liter,
95-horsepower, four-cylinder engine.

GMC

Last year, GMC introduced the redesigned Jimmy compact sport utility
vehicle to its lineup. Available with two- or four-doors, and in
either two- or four-wheel drive, Jimmy is powered by an enhanced
4.3-liter V6 engine that delivers 190 horsepower. A Highrider special
edition of the Jimmy 2-Door is also available this year. It has high
ground clearance and reinforced frame. The GMC Yukon full-size sport
utility vehicle, available in either two- or four-wheel drive, is
equipped with the re-engineered Vortec 5.7-liter V8 for 1996. It
delivers 250 horsepower, and can be paired with a five-speed manual or
a four-speed automatic transmission.  Another engine option for the
Yukon is a 6.5-liter, 180 horsepower turbocharged diesel, which can
also be teamed with the automatic transmission. Yukon has a driver's
air bag and four-wheel ABS. GMC's full size Suburban utility vehicle
also benefits from the Vortec 5.7-liter V8 that delivers 250
horsepower. The most powerful Suburban engine is the Vortec 7400
V8. This 7.4-liter powerplant reaches a peak horsepower of 290.

Land Rover

Land Rover's Discovery gets more power this year with an upgraded
version of the aluminum V8 powerplant which has been increased from
3.9 to 4.0-liters, and delivers 182 horsepower. Discovery is available
in three trim levels: SD, SE and SE7 and all models are equipped with
dual air bags. The Range Rover comes in a couple of flavors this
year. The 4.0 SE, with its 4.0-liter, 190-horsepower, all-aluminum V8,
was redesigned last year, and continues essentially unchanged for
1996. Another option is the 4.6 HSE. This is a limited production of
the Range Rover, featuring a 4.6-liter aluminum V8 engine that
delivers 225 horsepower.  Through December, 1995, the Defender 90 was
built as a Land Rover two-door hard top station wagon. This will be
produced in a limited edition and be available as long as supplies
last.

Isuzu

For 1996, the Isuzu Trooper is available in three models: the S, LS
and Limited, and features standard shift-on-the-fly four-wheel
drive. Most models are equipped with a more powerful V6 engine. This
3.1-liter, 24-valve, single overhead cam V6 now delivers 190
horsepower -- a 10 percent increase over last year. A four-speed
automatic transmission is standard on all models except the S, which
has a five-speed manual gearbox. . The Rodeo also has standard
shift-on-the-fly for four-wheel drive models, and optional four-wheel
ABS. A 3.2-liter single overhead cam, 190-horsepower V6 engine powers
all four-wheel drive Rodeos and most two wheel drive models. Only the
two-wheel drive Rodeo S gets a 2.6-liter, 120-horsepower four-cylinder
engine. Two trim levels are available: the S and LS, and all Rodeos
are equipped with dual air bags.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi's Montero four-wheel drive sport utility is available in
two trim levels, the LS and SR, and is now equipped with dual air
bags. The Montero LS has a 3.0-liter, 24-valve, single overhead cam,
V6 engine that produces 177 horsepower while Montero SR gets a
215-horsepower, 3.5-liter, double overhead cam, 24-valve, V6 engine.

Suzuki  

Suzuki has a unique multipurpose vehicles -- the X-90, which combines
the look and comfort of a sporty, two-seat, open-air vehicle with the
on-road and off-road benefits of sport utility. It's available in
either two- or four-wheel drive, and has a 1.6-liter, 16-valve 95
horsepower four-cylinder engine under the hood. The all-new Sidekick
Sport, based on the four-door Sidekick platform, features a new
1.8-liter, double overhead cam, 120 horsepower engine. With sport trim
and flared fenders, the Sport offers two trim levels -- JX and
JLX. ABS is standard. The Four-Door Sidekick is available in two-wheel
and four-wheel drive versions. Both versions are powered by a
1.6-liter, 16-valve, 95-horsepower four-cylinder engine with optional
ABS. The sporty canvas-topped two-door Sidekick offers a more powerful
1.6-liter, 95-horsepower four cylinder engine as part of the package
for both two-wheel drive JS and four-wheel drive JX models, and
optional ABS.  All Sidekick models feature dual airbags and daytime
running lights.